<p>I will be starting IB in September.
And I am....freaking out.
I am only doing it because I want a higher advantage in the application pool. </p>
<p>Right now, I am an A student.
Have a serious internship going on.
Volunteer like crazy.
Really focused on majorng in Natural Science in the future.
Not into sports or music...
Oh and I lived abroad for 2 years. </p>
<p>Anyway.
I need help determining if IB will be worth it for me.
It will limit me to taking the electives I want to take and it will limit my amount of volunteering in the future.
Is it worth this? Please tell me. Thank YOU.</p>
<p>If you plan on going to an university, and can handle the workload, then it’s very much worth it. </p>
<p>If you don’t enroll in the IB program at your school, you will limit your options at “selective” universities. These schools take class Rigor into account as part of admissions. The rigor of the IB program will also prepare you for your college workload (and even for your ACT/SAT testing).</p>
<p>Finally, most IB programs will do a good job of preparing you for the AP Test (and/or offer Duel Enrollment classes). Earning college credit while in HS will save you money and time when in College.</p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
<p>I agree with Gator88NE. Though I never encourage people to do anything to pad their resume. As someone who reviews applications for college admissions, we look less favorably at the 4.0 GPA of someone who did not take the AP and IB classes offered at their school compared to the the 3.9 GPA of someone who took them. We have extensive files about your school’s curriculum and course offerings. So we will know that you opted to take the less rigorous academic workload and factor that in. That being said, this applies to the most selective universities that can reject 4.0 non-IB candidates. Less selective universities would snatch them up. If you are aiming for the top and want to push yourself, and can handle it, you should take the most rigorous academic classes offered at your school.</p>
<p>It depends on what the options within the IB program are, and what the non-IB alternatives are. For example, if the IB does not offer HL courses in the subjects you are most interested and strongest in, but you can take college or AP courses in those subjects if not in the IB program, then the IB program may not be a good fit for you. But if the non-IB options are limited to courses for students whose highest college aspiration is the local community college, then the IB program may be the best you can get.</p>
<p>If you plan on going to a very selective school, it is not worth it. As they do not take IB credits and find a full schedule of AP classes just as rigorous; however, if you are doing fine with no stress, it can never harm you to continue the program. Look into some of your schools of choice and determine whether or not they even accept IB credits, then go from there.</p>
<p>OregonBound96 all top schools take IB credits, including those who do not take AP credits (like Brown)</p>
<p>Parent of IB students here – agree that is certainly important to take advantage of the most rigorous course selection available for students aiming high in college admissions. Also, watching the comparison between my som’s IB and AP course work (he was not diploma candidate bc of some scheduling challenges), the IB course work was better college prep than the AP-- IB involved more reading, critical thinking and writing whereas AP was more memorization, though the complexity of AP work could vary by school. </p>
<p>Another significant consideration, noted above, is whether your school offers HL courses in your area of interest/strength. You want to be as well prepared for college work as possible, so consider the specific offerings available to you. </p>
<p>On all our college visits, no admissions rep was willing to say either IB or AP is better than the other. Most top schools only offer credit for HL courses but you can self-study for AP in your SL courses to try to max out credit/placement. </p>
<p>IB is a significant commitment but schools do recognize the value of the work and extent of preparation for college level work. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>